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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416189">A splash of red wine, a glass of white</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dancing, Dark, F/F, Suspense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:54:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416189</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna Lightwood comes into a bar. Grace Blackthorn has been waiting for her. If Anna had been warned, everything might have played out differently, but even she did not see through Grace until it was too late.</p><p>An AU in which Anna Lightwood is James Herondale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grace Blackthorn/Anna Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A splash of red wine, a glass of white</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room was dimly-lit, perhaps to give the clients some semblance of privacy. The bar was on the opposite wall from the entrance, and a stubbornly upbeat song was playing on a gramophone on the third wall, drowning out the low buzz of conversation. Looking up from his position behind the counter, the barman noticed a young woman sporting a male haircut, trousers and fitted waistcoat. Emily Foray.</p><p>“You’ll want to keep an eye on her.” He dropped a wink to the woman on the other side of the bar, “Bit of a heartbreaker, I hear. Likes the ladies.”</p><p>“Is that so?” The woman asked thoughtfully, “She looks a little in need of company, wouldn’t you say?”</p><p>“No doubt. But not for long,” he added to himself.</p><p>The woman dipped her head for a moment, as though gathering courage - funny, given her earlier poised attitude - and gathered her silky grey skirts before making her way to where Anna was leaning against the wall, eyes following the couples on the dance floor.</p><p>“Are you not lonely, watching all these people dance?” </p><p>Anna slowly turned her head to see who had approached her. She was not disappointed.</p><p>“Loneliness is relative,” she drawled in reply. “For instance, I am not lonely when watching now, but rather thinking of how much I should like to join them.”</p><p>“And who will be your partner?” the woman asked, batting her eyelids perhaps a touch too obviously.</p><p>“Why, you, of course,” Anna said with an amused smile, “Come.”</p><p>“I should like that greatly, but you have not told me your name.”</p><p>“Emily Foray. And you are?”</p><p>“Maximillia Ran.”</p><p>“That’s an interesting name,” Anna replied, not taken in. They both knew that, with the way things were, all visitors to this bar used pseudonyms. </p><p>“Shall we?”</p><p>Grace nodded, her silver blond hair rippling with the movement, before she put one hand on Anna’s shoulder, and Anna responded by putting an arm around her waist. Soon they were swaying to the music, at one with the other dancers and the creaky wooden floor. Anna marvelled at her partner’s fluid movements. Where Anna had always been angular and striking, Maximillia looked healthy and strong, although her eyes did betray something brittle and dangerously intense. Anna broke hearts on a regular basis, but she must be clear with this woman of what she did and did not do. She would not cause her barely-concealed pain to rise to the surface. </p><p>So she leaned forward, her lips almost brushing Maximillia’s earrings, breath hot against Maximillia’s cheek.</p><p>“I like you, and I like fun. I hope you understand that I don’t do anything more than that.”</p><p>Anna’s voice was kind but the words still sent a painful shock through Grace.</p><p>“Of course. But does that mean that you don’t do fun more than once?” she asked.</p><p>“I do. Do you?” Anna’s reply came, steady and more serious than anything else she had said that night.</p><p>“No,” Grace’s reply was unexpected, even to herself, but it felt as though Anna had looked into her soul and the androgynous woman’s eyes demanded truth. Grace saw no reason to disobey. Not yet. </p><p>“Pity,” was all Anna had said, before twirling her around expertly and making Grace laugh for what not only felt like, but actually was, the first time in years. Anna decided that she wouldn’t mind hearing more of that laugh and then reminded herself that this was purely a one-off. </p><p>“I want,” Maximillia’s head was held high but her eyes carried a deep-seated doubt that Anna both recognised and loathed. Anna made her gaze soft, hoping her companion would elaborate. Maximillia just shook her head as if to shake away some thought she didn’t wish to contemplate. </p><p>Anna paused. Pushing seemed unkind when Maximillia was already embarrassed, but it was her policy to always know what the ladies she danced with wanted.</p><p>“Tell me,” she whispered.</p><p>“Something to forget … everything. A bit of hope. Some light,” Maximillia said rapidly.</p><p>“I can give you that. Tonight perhaps. I have a flat, spend the night with me, if you like,” Anna offered, while wondering why this didn’t feel like any of her other ‘conquests’.</p><p>“Please,” Maximillia seemed relieved. </p><p>Anna had to push down rising worry. Had she had stepped in too deep? No, she told herself, this is what she did. She broke hearts. That was fine. Her heart had been broken. That was also fine. She had been open with this woman. She would not worry about such things when they had known each other for less than an hour. And yet, she could not quite shake the feeling of foreboding. The look of silent victory that Maximillia had not even bothered to hide did not help. </p><p>It would soon be Anna’s turn to regret, Maximillia’s eyes said. But why, Anna wondered. What had she done? They had only just met. She opened her mouth to ask if anything was wrong, but her companion had already begun to move away. Anna reached her arm out to catch her, ask her to wait, without success. </p><p>Anna blinked. Grace had not moved so fast before. Her dancing had been graceful but slow, her eyes captivated by Anna’s blue lakes. Not anymore, it seemed. By reflex, Anna’s hand went to her stele. Before she could reach it, however, her silver bracelet caught against the opening of her trouser pocket. How odd. The only jewellery she wore was a ruby pendant - her mother’s gift and comfort when Ariadne had left her shell-shocked and unhappy.</p><p>She stared ahead. Grace was speaking to the bartender again. Anna could not make out what she was saying, but that did not matter. She made her way, torn between anger and another, more complicated, feeling, towards them.</p><p>“Do not look so alarmed, my dear,” Grace told her, and Anna unknowingly changed her expression to a pliant look that did not suit her at all. Grace turned her attention back to the barman and Anna vaguely caught Anna Lightwood, thirsty and drink please. He nodded and pushed two glasses towards Grace. Grace smiled and thanked him, before handing Anna a red wine, keeping the white wine for herself.</p><p>“Cheers,” she said, a pleased smile lingering over her lips.</p><p>“Cheers,” Anna replied, clinking her blood-red drink against Grace’s clear one.</p><p>“By the Grace of Raziel, all will work out. Anna Lightwood, I am so sorry.”</p><p>Anna could not imagine why Maximillia should apologise until she found her world going dark. Grace caught Anna’s glass before it hit the ground, but she was too late.</p><p>Red liquid soaked through Anna’s fashionable clothes and settled on her worryingly pale skin. </p><p>A ghost of another smile made its way onto Grace’s pink lips.</p><p>“Now, Anna Lightwood, you will take me home.”</p><p>Grace’s voice pulled her back to reality, but not quite. It would be a long time before she returned to herself, and even longer before those who loved her found out why or how or who. Ariadne was already a distant memory.</p>
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